Ethylene glycol is an important constituent of commercial polyester resins. Also of increasing importance as resin constituents are higher polyols such as 1,4-butanediol. The development of new and improved commercial processes for production of higher polyols is under active investigation.
1,4-Butanediol can be derived from tetrahydrofuran, succinic acid, maleic anhydride and other four-carbon organic species, but such methods are not economically attractive. Another method of producing 1,4-butanediol is by the reaction of formaldehyde and acetylene to form 1,4-butynediol as an intermediate, which is subsequently hydrogenated to the desired 1,4-butanediol product.
Other investigators have endeavored to convert acrolein into 1,4-butanediol by subjecting acrolein to hydroformylation conditions, the objective being the formation of succinaldehyde as an intermediate product. The results have been unsatisfactory since the main conversion product recovered from acrolein under hydroformylation conditions is propionaldehyde.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method for producing 1,4-butanediol.
It is another object of the present invention to provide 3-(alkyl-1',3'-dioxane)propionaldehyde and 3-(alkyl-1',3'-dioxane)propanol as novel classes of compounds.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a novel process for producing 3-(1',3'-dioxane)propionaldehyde and 3-(alkyl-1',3'-dioxane)propionaldehyde.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide 3-(5'-methyl-1',3'-dioxane)propionaldehyde as an intermediate product in a commercially feasible process for converting acrolein into 1,4-butanediol.
Other objects and advantages shall become apparent from the accompanying description and examples.